Stamp Analyser Operation
Toolbar Menu Items
Stamp Analyser for Mac and PC feature four primary toolbar buttons:
- Share: Exports the certificate after a stamp analysis is complete.
- Print: Sends the generated certificate directly to your printer.
- Crop: Highlights orange when active. Dragging an image into the app opens the Crop screen automatically.
- Info: Opens a document containing helpful usage tips and documentation.
Note on Crop Mode: Use this feature to separate and analyze individual stamps from a multi-stamp scan or full sheet.
The Tools menu for iOS Devices contains four buttons:
- Photos: Opens your device photo library to select a saved stamp image.
- Camera: Launches the camera to snap a new photo of a physical stamp.
- Share Sheet: Opens the iOS system menu to print or share your certificate.
- Crop: Toggles Crop Mode on or off to isolate a single stamp.
Inputting Images Mac and PC
- Local Files: Drag and drop your image directly into the “Drag & Drop Image Here” area.
- Web Images: Drag the image from your web browser to your desktop first, then drag it into the application.
Inputting Images iOS devices
- Tap Photos in the main toolBar which willOpen your device photo library to select a saved stamp image.
You do not need to reset the Stamp Analyser between stamps. You simply drag and drop another stamp or a select a different stamp from your photo library.
Analysis Results
Perforation Values
Tap Perforations to toggle between Nominal and Exact perforation values.
Nominal values use standard mathematical rounding. However, historical stamp catalogs may use legacy rounding conventions. For example, a measured value of 11.3 × 10.5 may be listed in stamp catalogs as Perf 11 × 10.5, as with the common Scott 632.
Note: Perforation measurements are accurate only when the image has been scanned at the recommended resolution of 300 DPI or photographed using Stamp Analyser.
Perforate / Imperforate
Tap any perforation value to switch that specific side between Perforate and Imperforate if the automatic detection misidentifies the edge.
Margin Widths
Margin widths can be displayed in either image pixels or normalized values.
Click or tap any margin value to toggle between the two display formats.
Notes on Margin Appearance
At times, a margin may appear visually larger than the value reported by Stamp Analyser. This is because the margin calculation uses the perforation closest to the frame line.
If one or more perforations are closer to the frame boundary than the others, the reported margin is based on those closest perforations. This is expected behavior.
Stamp Grade
The stamp grade is displayed as a numerical score from 0–100, together with the corresponding grade label, such as XF 90.
The grade is calculated based solely on the balance of the four margins. By default, the stamp is assumed to be: Free of faults (soundness) and Neat and clean in appearance (Eye Appeal ).
You can optionally adjust the grade to account for Soundness and Eye Appeal.
To make these adjustments:
. Faults – Tap or click Faults, then select the appropriate fault from the available menu.
. Eye Appeal – Tap or click Eye Appeal, then select the appropriate eye-appeal rating from the available menu.
The grade reductions for faults and eye appeal are based on the PSE Grading Guide.
The PSE Grading Guide section can be displayed by clicking or tapping the detailed disclosure button within the Fault View or Eye Appeal View.
For more information about grading, consult the PSE Grading Guide.
Stamp Frame Dimension
The stamp’s frame dimensions are displayed in millimeters (mm).
Note: As with perforation measurements, frame dimensions depend on the correct DPI setting. The DPI must match the original scan or the calculated DPI value when photographing stamps using an iOS device.
Navigation
Mac: Swipe left to view the stamp outline. Swipe right to return to the colour image.
iOS: Swipe right once for the outline, and right again for colour. Swipe left to return to the Main View.
iOS: Swipe Down to display the detailed centering information
iOS: Double-tap the stamp image in the Main View to display the stamp with a superimposed red alignment circle, this will only be available when analysing photographed stamps.
iOS & Mac: Tap the stamp image in the Main View to open the Magnification View for fine-tuning.
iOS & Mac: The DPI value is used to calculate both the perforations and the frame dimensions. In most cases, you will not need to change it. However, if the DPI shown does not match the DPI of your scanned image, you may update it by Long-Pressing the stamp Image and then entering the new value in the dialogue box.
Magnification View
Tap the stamp image in the Main View to open the Magnification View for fine-tuning. Use this view to move the orange boundary lines, adjust the blue perforation lines, and measure stamp features.
Menue items
Swap Image: Switches the active display between the color and outline images.
Swap Handles: Switches control between the orange and blue adjustment handles.
Blue Eye: Toggles the visibility of the blue perforation lines.
Orange Eye: Toggles the visibility of the orange boundary lines.
Line Selector: Cycles through available handles sequentially without needing to tap them on-screen.
Editing Tips
In most cases, the automatic analysis is accurate and no manual adjustments are required. Follow the steps below only if the automatic analysis results appear to be incorrect.
For the best results, make adjustments in this order:
1. Correct the stamp edge type, if required.
2. Position the orange lines so they align with the stamp design.
3. Position the blue lines so they align with—but do not touch—the semicircular ends of the perforations.
4. After each adjustment, tap Reanalyse to update the results.
Stamp Margin Marks or Smudges
Occasionally, the Stamp Analyser may misidentify the frame boundary. This can happen if marks in the margin—such as cancellation ink, glassine impressions, or other artifacts—are mistaken for the frame edge.
To correct this:
- Use the grab handles to reposition the boundary line.
- Press Reanalyse to update the results.
Low contrast between the stamp and the background can also affect accuracy. For best results, scan stamps against a black background.
You may also notice a small gap between the actual frame line and the detected line. If the margins are clear, the Analyser may simply have detected a faint printed line—this is normal.
Stamps Without Frame Boundaries
Some stamps have designs that run directly into the perforations, leaving no clear frame boundaries. In these cases, the Stamp Analyser will search for straight design edges and use them as boundaries.
Measuring Distances
Precision measurements require a source image scanned at a known DPI value.
Using the Ruler
- Activation: Toggle the Ruler switch to On to reveal the measurement line.
- End Handles: Drag either outer circular handle to set your start and end points.
- Centre Handle: Drag the middle handle to reposition the entire ruler without changing its length.
- Fine Tuning: Use the toolbar arrow keys for pixel-perfect adjustments, or pinch to zoom.
- Deactivation: Toggle the Ruler switch to Off when your measurement is complete.
Cropping Stamps
When you have pairs, blocks, strips, stamps with sheet margins, or multiple stamps in a single scan, you can use Stamp Analyser to crop and analyze the individual stamps separately.
To crop individual stamps:
1. From the Tools menu, tap or click the Crop icon to turn Crop Mode on.
2. Drag and drop the image containing multiple stamps into the Main View, or select the image from the Photo Library on iOS. The Crop View opens automatically.
3. In the Crop View, position the crop rectangle around the stamp you want to extract.
4. Tap Crop, then choose Save or Analyze. You can also rotate the image before cropping, if necessary.
5. Repeat the process for each stamp in the image.
Note: On iOS, the ability to rotate and save the cropped image is currently not available.